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Brilliant! NASA cures a common phobia
Nov. 10th, 2012 09:43 amOne of the biggest problems facing society is the fear of asking "stupid" questions. It especially interferes with NASA's mission to reach out, inspire, and educate. When faced with an astronaut, or a famous astrophysicist, or someone who is literally a rocket scientist, it is easy to become tongue-tied and think your questions are "stupid".
Well, they've come up with a superb solution: a rubber chicken. Nobody finds it embarrassing to ask questions of a rubber chicken; it breaks the ice in a unique way. It is silly, but that's really the point. What might otherwise be intimidating becomes fun.
Romeo Durscher of Stanford University, calls himself executive secretary for a fowl NASA ambassador named "Camilla". The rubber chicken makes it easy to talk with experts at encounters in schools, science centers, and science fiction conventions. Camilla has flown to the edge of space, demonstrated the space toilet (and became stuck in the tubes), will be over here in Australia in Cairns for the eclipse, and there are hopes that she'll be visiting the Space Station in 2014.
NASA -- increasing awesome.
Well, they've come up with a superb solution: a rubber chicken. Nobody finds it embarrassing to ask questions of a rubber chicken; it breaks the ice in a unique way. It is silly, but that's really the point. What might otherwise be intimidating becomes fun.
Romeo Durscher of Stanford University, calls himself executive secretary for a fowl NASA ambassador named "Camilla". The rubber chicken makes it easy to talk with experts at encounters in schools, science centers, and science fiction conventions. Camilla has flown to the edge of space, demonstrated the space toilet (and became stuck in the tubes), will be over here in Australia in Cairns for the eclipse, and there are hopes that she'll be visiting the Space Station in 2014.
NASA -- increasing awesome.